Anti-racist Jewish Australian writer, journalist and film-maker Antony Loewenstein has been awarded the 2019 Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize by Palestinian Australian human rights activists. The award was presented at a big function held in Parliament House, Melbourne, by Professor Stuart Rees, winner of the inaugural 2018 Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize, founder of the Sydney Peace Prize and Emeritus Professor at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney.

The citation stated the following: “Australians for Palestineand theAustralia-Palestine Advocacy Network are thrilled to announce that the winner of the 2019 Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize is journalist, author, and film-maker Antony Loewenstein. Antony’s best-selling book “My Israel Question” generated a storm of controversy because of his forensic discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the intimidatory way Zionist lobby groups have affected political discourse and news media to shape their version of Middle-Eastern politics. His foray into this veritable minefield saw him personally attacked and even shunned by his community and relatives. He co-founded Independent Australian Jewish Voices and has said that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement “is a logical and non-violent response to human rights abuses in Palestine”. The award will be presented by last year’s prize winner Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees AM at a black-tie dinner in Queen’s Hall, Victorian State Parliament on Friday 22 November 2019. In response to the award, Antony will be in conversation with the celebrated journalist and television news presenter, Mary Kostakidis” [1]. I attended both Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize award events.

Antony Loewenstein (born 1974) is an anti-racist Jewish Australian German freelance investigative journalist, author and film-maker. He is the author of some important books, namely “My Israel Question: Reframing The Israel/Palestine “ (2009), “Profits of Doom: How vulture capitalism is swallowing the world” (2013), and “Capitalism : Making a killing out of catastrophe” (2015). He has co-authored a number of books, notably co-editing with Ahmed Moor the book “After Zionism: One State for Israel and Palestine” (2012) that included essays by notable supporters of Palestinian human rights. Antony Loewenstein is a co-founder of Independent Australian Jewish Voices (IAJV) that speaks out against the horrendous human rights abuses of Apartheid Israel [2].